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Listening and Appraising – Revision Unit

Icons key: For more detailed instructions, see the Getting Started presentation

Flash activity. These activities are not editable. Teacher’s notes included in the Notes Page

Accompanying worksheet

Listening activity

SoundComposing activity

Performing activity

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♫ Listening and Appraising ♫ Revision Unit

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Listening and appraising

During your GCSE course you will have listened to many examples of music from your areas of study.

At the end of your course you will complete a listening exam that will test your understanding of the areas of study and your ability to describe extracts of music played to you.

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Describing what you hear

Tempo

Expression

DurationPitch

TimbreTexture

♫ What does each one mean? ♫

A piece can be described by considering these musical elements.

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Describing what you hear

The mind maps on the next five slides will help you revise the key terms for each element.

Pitch – how high, medium and low notes are used and combined within the piece.

Duration – how short, medium and long sounds are used and combined within the piece.

Tempo – the speed of the piece.

Timbre – the quality of the individual musical resources (instruments and voices) used in the piece.

Texture – how the musical resources (instruments and voices) are combined in the piece.

Expression – the way in which the piece is performed.

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Pitch

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Duration and tempo

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Timbre

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Texture

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Expression

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The big picture: structure and form

You may also be asked to comment on:

the structure of an extract you hear

the form of a piece of music.

To prepare for this, make sure you understand the common devices composers use to create musical pieces, for example sequence and repetition…

…as well as the common forms used in the areas of study you have looked at, for example binary form.

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Form and structure

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Exam tips

You will be given time to read the paper through at the beginning of the exam. Use this time wisely by reading each question carefully.

There will be lots of pieces of music to listen to, each one with its own set of questions. Don’t try to answer them while the music is playing. Listen carefully and start to write when the music stops.

Each piece is normally played 3 or 4 times. If there are a lot of questions to answer, try to concentrate on 2 or 3 each time the music is played.

If you can’t remember a technical term you need in order to describe something, don’t leave the answer blank. Instead use everyday words to describe what you hear.